Must Be Doing Something Right
by StydiaHeart1500
Summary: Lydia moves into her first house after college. Since her mom was the one buying it, Lydia let her choose the house, trusting that she would pick a good one. But when she meets her neighbor, Stiles, she can't stand him, his inability to pick up on social queues, his stupid smile, or his incredibly good looks. Or can she? Stydia. Slow(ish) burn relationship. humor. smut.
1. Chapter 1

The house was not what Lydia had expected. Not in the slightest. Never in a million years did she picture herself living in such a small, basic house. This was her first time seeing it, as her mom had been the one to pick it out while Lydia was finishing her last weeks of college. She could liven it up. She was Lydia Martin, fresh out of college, and she'd be damned if she lived in a house that blended in with every other one in the neighborhood. Besides, the houses were very spread out. There was one house close to her, but surely her home-makeover wouldn't bother her neighbors. Opening up the back doors of her car, she reached in and pulled out one of the many boxes containing her possessions. She had many of her belongings with her, but still had more things back home that her mom was bringing up next week.

Unlocking the door, she stepped inside, taking in all the empty space. After getting her boxes inside, she unpacked them one by one. It took her into the early morning hours, but she was glad to get it all done at once. Laying out her air mattress in the upstairs bedroom, she blew it up and sighed as she plopped down on it. She couldn't believe this would be her bed, until she could find and buy a new one. Lydia Martin didn't sleep on air mattresses. But here she was. Falling back with a sigh to see how comfortable it was, she was passed out before long.

On her first morning in her first house, the sunshine leaking through her window or the birds chirping outside would have been the ideal way to wake up. However that is not what happened. Instead, a chainsaw came to life outside her open window, ripping her from her dreams as she leapt up from the bed and stumbled across the floor. Her chest heaving, she leaned against the window and glared outside, furious. The criminal in question for waking her up wasn't in her line of sight however, and she glanced at her phone.

Her jaw dropped as she realized that it was seven o'clock, about 5 hours too soon to be awake. Throwing a sweater on over her bra and boy shorts, she stumbled down the stairs, yelling to herself. Throwing open her front door, She stormed across the lawn, which was bigger than she had realized. The noise was coming from the one house close to hers, and she pounded her fist against the door. Glancing to the side, she saw not one, not two, but three different motorcycles. Rolling her eyes, she could only imagine the owner. Probably an old biker dude, completely oblivious to social norms and what it meant to be considerate.

The sounds didn't stop, and it was coming from the backyard. Crossing her arms in the cool air, she made her way around the house, the noise growing louder, fueling her rage. When she turned the last corner, she saw the outline of the guy, facing away from her, chain saw in hand. Waving her arms and screaming, she tried to get his attention. Moving along the house, he finally caught sight of her, jumping slightly. He had a mask covering his head, and he reached down and turned the saw off. Lydia didn't even give him a chance to get a word in before she was storming closer to him, feeling her face flush. "Are you _insane?! _You do know that it's seven. Seven, right?! Did it ever occur to you that there might be people trying to _sleep?!" _The guy stood still for a moment, but then reached up and lifted off the mask.

Lydia felt her heart stop for a moment. Oh no. Oh god. Oh lord. He was no old man. Not the ugly old man with a biker mustache and long hair in a ponytail that she had been picturing. Oh god he was hot. He had fair but tanned skin, dirt smudges on his face, strong cheekbones and jaw. His eyes were honey colored, shimmering in the early sun, outlined with the kind of eyelashes that would make any girl on earth jealous. His hair was a mess of brown, falling onto his forehead and going in multiple directions; it was the absolute definition of sex-hair.

It was only after she had taken all of this in that her eyes focused in on his beautiful mouth, realizing it was curved up into a smirk. She came back to reality, straightening her shoulders, trying to regain her composure. But it was too late. His expression was extremely smug, and he had clearly seen her reaction to him. He returned the favor, his eyes taking her in from head to toe. When his eyes finally met hers once more, Lydia felt a blush rising to her cheeks but fought it hard. She was suddenly aware of her lack of clothing.

"Uh, look. I didn't mean any harm, I promise. I'm just a morning person." His voice was so sexy, with a slight rasp and a deep tone to it. But that wasn't enough to keep Lydia from getting angry again.

"And you never stopped to think about other people who might _not _be morning people?" She raised an eyebrow at him, forcing herself not to give away the fact that she was still comprehending his good looks. He laughed, motioning around them with his hands. "What, with all the neighbors I have?" Lydia glanced around, noticing how much distance was between them and the other houses. He had a point.

"Plus, there hasn't been anyone living in the house next door in years. How was I supposed to know I would be waking someone up?" He continued, and Lydia toyed with the hem of her shorts, suddenly subconscious of how short they were. Trying to keep her anger level high, she sifted through her mind for another way to prove him wrong.

"Well, you're crazy. Who the hell wakes up at seven in the morning to use a chainsaw?!" It was the best she could come up with, sadly.

Squinting his eyes at her, his hands flailed at his sides. "Well... Me, that's who! Now go back to your house and I won't make any noise until nine so you can have your sleep." He started to walk past her, but she spoke up. "Nine is still too early." He turned back to look at her, as she stood with her hand on her hip.

"Ok, princess, does ten work for you?" He asked, his words dripping with sarcasm. Lydia thought for a moment. "Nope, still too early. Noon." His jaw dropped. "_Noon?! _Hell no. Eleven. And that's your final offer." He matched her serious expression, and she found herself admiring him once more. "Ok, fine. eleven it is. Thank you." With that, she turned on her heel and began walking back to her own house. "You're welcome!" He shouted from behind, and Lydia threw back a tight smile.

The second she got inside her front door, she groaned. Of course she had to get a house next to a super hot guy. Of course. Not that she was complaining, but it would be so much easier for her to hate him and his chainsaw if he wasn't completely and totally beautiful. This was going to be interesting.

As promised, at eleven sharp, the chainsaw roared back to life. Lydia had closed her window, hoping to dull the noise enough so she could sleep through it. But it still woke her up, and she moaned in protest, burying her face in her pillow. Maybe if she just ignored it, she would eventually get used to it and be able to sleep again. Or he would turn it off pretty soon, he couldn't be planning on using it for too long, right?

But when Lydia finally gave up, got up, showered, and got herself ready for the day, the chainsaw was still going. All through lunch, it was still going. He turned it off for periods of time, and each time Lydia crossed her fingers that it was turned off for good. The sound of the chainsaw eventually gave way, only to be replaced with the sound of hammers and god knows what other tools he was throwing around. At least that's what it sounded like.

Lydia was making dinner when it all stopped, suddenly and gloriously. The peace and quiet filled the room, and Lydia couldn't help but hum a bit in relief. She continued making dinner, carefully removing a burning hot tray from the oven when persistent knocks erupted on her front door. Startled, she dropped the pan and felt it burn a bit of her arm, letting out a few choice words. The knocking continued, and Lydia could feel her skin burning in anger as she placed the pan on the counter and wiped her hands off. Studying the burn near her wrist, she hurried to the door and flung it open.

"Hey again! I just, I kind of just realized that we got off on the wrong foot, so I was hoping-" Lydia slammed the door and heard his sentence fade, walking back to the kitchen. Getting a plate, she dished up her food. Knocking on the glass sliding door across the room made her jump, and her jaw dropped as she saw him, in her backyard, his face pressed against the glass. Her kitchen and living room were all in one room, and she moved around the counter with an angry look. He had the stupidest smile on his face, and it made her want to punch him.

"Would you _please _leave me alone?!" For goodness sake, what would it take for him to take a hint?

"Look, just let me in! I brought you a peace offering!" He said, his voice muffled. Lydia glanced down and noticed a bag in his hands. She looked at him suspiciously, unconvinced. "And what exactly is in the bag?" She inquired.

"Well, you have to let me in to find out." The stupid smile was still plastered on his face, and Lydia wanted nothing more than to be rid of it. Sliding the door open, she saw his shoulders sink in relief and he started to step forward. Lydia snatched the bag out of his hand, closing the door before he had any time to react. Locking the door, she gave him a smug look, happy that his smile had been replaced by a look of genuine surprise. Reaching into the bag, she found food. A huge bag of chips, some pre-made, frozen cinnamon rolls, and a bag full of chocolate chip cookies.

She unlocked the door and slid it open. "This is your peace offering? Trying to make me fat?" She accused, but felt the corners of her mouth lift against her will. To her slight disappointment, he caught her smile, smiled right back at her, and slipped past her and into the house. And damn it, she let him. She wasn't sure what the heck was up with this dude, he was weird and seemed to her like a 7 year old kid as far as maturity. But hey, bickering with him was pretty entertaining.


	2. Chapter 2

For once, Lydia had no idea what to say. She found herself stumbling after him, as he headed to her kitchen as though he lived there. She watched as he stepped up to the counter, looking at the food. "Hey, this looks pretty good!" The surprise in his voice was somehow offensive, and Lydia moved around him and grabbed the plate she had already prepared. Sitting at the table, she continued to watch as he dished food onto another plate. He was whistling, some song that Lydia didn't recognize. He came and sat down across from her, completely focused on his food.

"Are you always this friendly?" Lydia asked, awestruck at how intrusive he was being. He glanced up at her for the first time since sitting down, his mouth full of food. "Huh? Oh yeah, I mean I try to be friendly as possible!" Lydia could hardly understand him, and rolled her eyes.

"I mean like, do you always intrude on people's lives like this?" It came out far more blunt than she had intended, but oh well. He gave her the same crooked smile. "You have no TV in your house. No computer. No board games. Nothing to keep you entertained. So really, I'm helping you out."

Lydia stared at him. Damn it, he was right.

"Well? Am I right?" He said, with a knowing smile. Lydia was up for this challenge. "And how did you know that I have no entertainment? Are you stalking me?" She said back, her eyebrows raised.

"Actually, it was just a lucky guess. I was right, you have no entertainment. So, here I am. You're welcome." He went back to his food, and Lydia found herself speechless once again. With no witty comebacks left, she resolved to eating her food in silence. The second she finished her food, he was picking up her plate and rinsing off all the dishes at the sink. Lydia felt a twinge of guilt, maybe she had been too rude to this guy. He really did seem like he was trying to be nice, and now he was washing her dishes for her.

She watched until he finished, perplexed and unsure of what to say. He sat down directly across from her again, and looked around the room. "It is seriously empty in here."

Lydia sighed, glad that he had made conversation. "Yeah, I know. Right now I just have the essentials, the stuff built into the house. Plus i have my things from college. My mom is driving up with a truck full of furniture and the rest of my stuff, hopefully by next week." The house was empty, and Lydia glanced longingly at the empty living room. God, she missed having a couch to cuddle up on. Plus she still and to buy a new bed. It was quiet for a few moments as they both looked around.

"So you really don't have a TV? No laptop, nothing interesting? How will you survive?" He asked, his brow furrowed. "Yep, no technology for the time being. But I don't mind, it's really pretty out there. I'll probably spend most of my time outside anyway." She replied, looking out the glass door along the back of the house.

"Hmmm...Could I show you something? It's a bit of a secret. You would never find it unless I showed it to you. It's a little ways past my place, not too far away." His gaze caught hers, and Lydia almost found herself saying yes. She had to break eye contact, otherwise she wouldn't be able to say no. She stood up from the table, walking towards the back door. He got up and followed her, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Look, I appreciate you barging in and basically demanding to have dinner with me, but I'm very tired. And I really want to get to sleep, so I think it's best if you just head home for the night." Hid expression fell, and Lydia couldn't help but feel bad. Before he could say anything, she found herself quickly adding, "But if you want to show me tomorrow morning, that would work." She had no idea where the words came from and why she would say that. Of course morning wouldn't work. She never woke up early. biting her lip, she crossed her fingers behind her back. _Please say no, please say no, please say no-_

"Sure! That would be perfect. I'll be knocking on your door at eight, and we'll head out. Wear a warm coat, it's supposed to be a pretty cold morning!" His smile lit up his face. He slid open the glass door, closing it behind him and waving at her. Then he was gone. Lydia slowly uncrossed her fingers, wondering what the hell just happened. Why had she said that? Was he really going to show up that early? Was she really going with him?

And most importantly, why was she a little excited about it?


	3. Chapter 3

The second the alarm clock went off, Lydia didn't even hesitate to turn it off. There was no way in hell she was getting up. Stuffing her head under the pillow, she tried to get comfortable on the air mattress. Just when she found the perfect position, a slight noise caught her attention. Lifting the pillow slightly off her head, she listened. It happened again, and this time she sat up. Was it raining outside?

Lydia jumped as something hit her window, clutching the blankets tightly. It happened again, and it finally hit her that someone was throwing rocks at her window. And that could only mean one thing. Groaning, she glanced at her phone. It was eight o'clock, exactly. Wow, he was tall, sexy, and on time. Too bad he was an absolute pain in the ass.

Maybe if she just ignored him, he would assume she was still asleep and leave her alone. Laying back on the pillow, she tried to ignore the noise.

***10 minutes later***

"Holy shit you are the most annoying person I've ever met!" Lydia yelled from her bed. She knew he couldn't hear her, but it felt good to say it. The rocks had kept coming, a constant stream of them, and she couldn't take it anymore. Storming out of bed and to the window, she threw it open. The bastard was singing.

"And it's been all over you. It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away, it's a beautiful day!" He was leaning down to pick up more rocks.

"You are a terrible singer, and you are going to forever ruin that U2 song for me! So shut up!" She yelled, feeling her cheeks warm with frustration.

"Well good morning! It's about time you got up. Don't worry, I can switch songs!" Before Lydia could stop him, he tossed another rock. It flew passed her, startling her, and landed on her bedroom floor.

"Wake up it's a beautiful morning, feel the sun shining for your eyes! Wake up it's so beautiful-" His singing was interrupted as Lydia chucked the rock back at him, hitting him on the chest.

"Don't you dare ruin The Boo Radleys song for me, either. And you could have hit me with that rock, you jerk!" As pissed as she was, she was struggling to hold back a smile. She really didn't know she had such good aim.

"Ok, ok, now that I know you have good taste in music, I'll stop throwing the deadly rocks at you, and spare you from my gorgeous singing voice. Will you please come outside now?" He had dropped all the rocks, and was looking up at her with some serious puppy eyes.

God, the guy was persistent. And she couldn't decide if it was endearing, or infuriating. Maybe it was a little bit of both. Without saying anything, she closed the window. Going over to her closet she changed into a cute sweater, some skinny jeans, and her favorite boots and jacket. She loosely braided her hair, and dabbed on a bit of blush and lip color. Sliding her phone in her pocket, she made her way downstairs.

When she opened the front door, she jumped as she came face to face with him. So much for personal space.

"I thought you were never gonna show up, my gosh you take forever. Ready to go?" His brown eyes were so big and expressive up close, that Lydia forgot to be annoyed with him. "Yes, I'm ready. Although I still think it's way too early for this." She said, as he moved out of the way so she could close and lock the door. She followed him through the yard, and they headed towards his house.

"You know, you miss out on half the day by sleeping in." He said, giving her a pointed look as they passed his house. "Ok, so you mean to tell me you never sleep in?" She asked, noting how simple his house looked. For whatever reason, she wondered if it was warm and cozy on the inside.

"Of course I sleep in, every once and a while. But most days I just prefer to wake up and not waste precious time. Plus I have a job, so sometimes it's not that I _wan_t to wake up early, just that I _have_ to wake up early." He lead her through the trees, and pushed a branch out of the way for her.

"You have a job?" Where would someone like him work? She could picture him working with technology. Or maybe science. Something mathematical, that required brain power and focus. Or maybe he walked around neighborhoods, knocking on people's door and offering friendship.

"Yeah, I actually work at a coffee shop." He looked at her, clearly gaging her reaction. Well, it definitely wasn't what Lydia had expected. She couldn't stop herself from giving a playful smile, "Oh my, the guy who owns three motorcycles works at a coffee shop. How manly. Is that how you obtained your marvelous muscle definition and toned physique?" She teased, and swore she saw his cheeks color a bit, but he quickly smiled back at her.

"Gee, thanks for noticing. For your information, it's just comes naturally. Although, lifting pounds and pounds of bags of coffee each week helps. And the motorcycles help my reputation and add to the affect of my muscles. I've been that coffee shops saving grace, half of their business is all thanks to me. The ladies just can't stay away, plus I make a killer latte." He playfully winked at her. Oh god, he could wink, too? Damn it, that was her weakness. And that was a flawless wink, too. Damn it. She forced herself to look away, and couldn't think of anything witty to say back.

"Oh, I'm sure. Well, I'll have to come in to the shop sometime. I'm always up for a killer latte." Surprisingly, she meant it. She really wouldn't mind having him make her a coffee. She looked up and he was smiling at her, a warm and genuine smile. This time she did blush. She noticed again that his eyes were a nice brown color, that reminded her of whiskey. And she once again noticed his long, dark lashes. She looked nervously at the ground. They had been walking slowly for quite a while now, making their way through the trees and seemingly on the way to absolutely nowhere. Feeling his eyes still on her, she brought the conversation to a more comfortable zone.

"Okay, where the heck are we going? This isn't the part where you cut me up into bits and serve me on a platter, is it?" He laughed, and gave her a pouty look. "Hey, what kind of person do you think I am? I would never cut someone into pieces, especially when I don't even know their name yet."

Lydia looked up in surprise as his words hit her, god she didn't even know his name! "Oh my gosh, I don't know why but that didn't even...I didn't even notice." She stuttered, embarrassed. He chuckled, holding out his hand. "Hey, no worries, I didn't really notice either. Anyway, I'm Stiles." Lydia met his eyes, and the name was so odd but suited him well. Shyly, she placed her hand lightly in his. "I'm Lydia."

He smiled at her again, an easy smile that she couldn't help returning. His hand tightened around hers, and his skin was so warm and smooth. At the same time she could feel calluses, and knew they couldn't be just from making coffee. Her mind wandered back to the first time she saw him, hard at work with all those tools in his backyard.

Her stomach felt all fluttery and warm, and she couldn't remember the last time she felt this way. Suddenly he was pulling her along, still holding onto her hand. "Come on, we're almost there. You're gonna love it." He assured her, and she was more than happy for the chance to let her heart rate slow down. She barely knew this guy, and he already had her blood pumping.

What was she getting herself into?


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, sorry for not posting in a while. But I'm back, and this might be my favorite chapter I've ever written. I so firmly believe that if Stiles and Lydia met in the circumstances of this story, that they would constantly be torn between constant annoyance with each other, and falling in love with each other. I tried to make the banter as real as possible, because I love how these two constantly have a battle-of-the-wits going on :) I hope you like it! Let me know. Things are going to get very interesting with these two! **

Just when Lydia felt like her arm was going to be pulled out of it's socket, he stopped in his tracks. Lydia looked around in confusion, seeing nothing but trees surrounding them. "Uh...So is this the place? Because no offense but I could see this in my own backyard." Stiles wasn't even listening to her, looking around with a furrowed brow.

"Hmmm...I could have sworn it was right over here, right past that tree." He pointed at one of the trees and Lydia scoffed. "You mean that tree, the tree that looks exactly like every other tree?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny. Ok I'm almost positive that it's this way." He began pulling her to the right, and Lydia sighed under her breath. The cold was definitely starting to seep into her clothes, and she was wishing more and more that she had a warm drink in her hand.

"Ah ha! Here it is." He said proudly, pulling her through a line of trees. Lydia gasped as the area cleared, revealing a gorgeous lake. The water was surprisingly clear, the edges filled with lillypads. Giant trees with long, drooping branches were all over surrounding the water, along with others that had huge branches asking to be climbed. Across from the water, there was a small mountain perfect for hiking, with an overhanging cliff that overlooked the lake.

Bright green grass grew right up to the edge of the water, surrounding it and creating a path perfect to walk along. Lydia was still taking it all in when she noticed Stiles no longer beside her, turning to find him walking along the lake. "Hey, wait up!" She hurried to his side, frowning a bit as the grass became muddy. She was practically on her tiptoes, trying to protect her shoes as much as possible.

Stiles didn't even notice, his gaze sweeping along the lake with a far-off smile on his face. "Around Christmas, this freezes over completely. Snow piles up everywhere, and you can go out on the lake and walk around. It's the best. You have a while to see that, though, it'll be really warm soon for summer."

Lydia could picture it, the snow covering the trees, piled up to the knees. The lake frozen over, time standing still. She hated cold weather, but that was something she could definitely look forward to. "Well hey, we'll see if I stick around long enough to witness it. I have this super annoying neighbor that might drive me to packing pretty soon." She teased, smirking as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, all I did was wake you up!" He said, sounding wounded. "Uh, excuse me? You woke me up, forced yourself into my home to eat dinner, and then forced me to walk around out here with you. In the past hour, we've already come close to getting lost, I'm freezing my ass off, and have to live with the knowledge that I don't even have a blanket to go home to. So thanks, Stiles, I just can't thank you enough!" She playfully shoved her elbow into his shoulder.

"Hey, hey! Easy there tiger, not when I'm walking along the edge of a lake." He said, trying and failing to hold back his laughter. Lydia raised an eyebrow at him, "Careful there, don't go giving me any ideas." She laughed along with him, unable to keep the huge smile off of her face.

Once they both had taken a moment to stop laughing, Stiles turned to her. "Well if it's any help, I formally apologize for all of my previous offenses. And if you really don't have a warm blanket waiting at home, we can stop by my place and I can give you one to borrow. I'll even let you pick the blanket out yourself, like a big girl." She didn't even notice his teasing, and she looked at him in pleasant surprise. "Really, you would let me borrow one? That's...That's really, really nice of you Stiles. Thank you so much."

He was clearly surprised by her response, and Lydia caught his cheeks flushing before he could manage to look away and hide it. She felt her own cheeks warm, and had to look away, gently biting her bottom lip. After a moment of silence, she looked back and knew she had to save them from the moment. "But hey mister, don't be getting any ideas. It's just a blanket. Don't expect me to go proclaiming my undying love for you from the rooftops."

Stiles finally broke into a teasing smile once again. "Oh shit, that's what I was going for. Just wait, I have one special blanket that I save for this exact situation. It's so soft, you'll be writing a sonnet about me by nightfall." They both chuckled, settling into a more comfortable silence, the moment saved. After a few minutes, Stiles pulled her by her sleeve until they were standing at the roots of one of the biggest trees she had ever seen. The branches were ginormous, and grew practically to the ground, perfect for climbing.

"Ok, now I'm going to show you the best part. Follow me." He said, climbing up a branch before Lydia could even get a single word in. Here she was, walking through mud, and now climbing up a tree. "This better be worth it." She muttered under her breath. Reaching up, she gripped a huge branch and followed him up. After what felt like forever, He finally stopped above her. "Ok, you see that branch to your left?" He pointed, and she looked at the branch he was pointing to.

"Yeah I see it...What about it?" She wouldn't sit on it, if that's what he was going to say.

"Sit on it." Lydia snapped her head up, her mouth falling open. How was he able to know exactly what she was thinking? It was starting to freak her out. "Uh, I don't think so." Looking down, she began to climb down.

"Hey, where are you going?! What do you mean no?!" He cried out in shock, reaching to gently grab her wrist. She met his gaze with a furrowed brow. "I mean no, you wanna hear it in Spanish?" He rolled his eyes at her, and let her pull her hand from his. "Oh come on, Lydia, live a little!" He stuck his bottom lip out, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Stiles, I am alive. And I don't need to sit on a wet tree branch to prove it. Thanks, but no thanks." She was about to continue down when his next words stopped her. "Hmm, good to know. My new neighbor is scared of quite a few things. Missing out on her beauty sleep, friendly neighbors wanting to have a friendly dinner, having small pebbles thrown into her window, muddy grass, wet tree branches..." His voice trailed off, and he eyed her with a look of boredom.

Lydia didn't even acknowledge the fact that he had indeed caught her earlier, trying to avoid the mud. She narrowed her eyes at him, pursing her lips until they hurt. He just stared right back, his expression unchanging. "Let me get this straight. You think I'm scared of a tree branch?" She said through clenched teeth. He raised one hand, studying his fingers. "Yep. Well, a _wet_ tree branch if we want to go into specifics."

Lydia just glared at him more, unable to back down from the challenge. "I am not scared, Stiles. See, watch." She lifted herself up, falling back into the tree branch. It would have been extremely comfortable, since the branch seemed to mold perfectly against her back and thighs. But she gasped as water instantly soaked the back of her pants, and every inch of skin beneath them.

She shrieked, catapulting forward so quickly that she almost lost her balance. Stiles moved forward, catching her against his chest. She almost relaxed into him, until she felt him shaking and realized he was laughing. Pushing away from him the best she could without losing her balance, she scoffed. "You asshole! You knew that would happen, and nicely done because now I hate you." Ignoring his uncontrollable laughter, Lydia let herself down the tree.

Muttering to herself, she felt her own backside when she finally reached the ground. She let out a growl as she found that she was soaked, the entire back of her pants and of her jacket. Stiles continued to laugh above her, as he began to climb down. Crossing her arms, she turned on her heel and began walking without him back the way they came. She could feel her face flaming, with anger and embarrassment. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, her foot sunk ankle deep into what Lydia already knew was mud.

She barely held in a furious shout, pulling her foot out and moving away from the muddy grass. Stiles' laughing continued behind her, and she huffed out a deep breath, gaining control. "Hey Lyds, I think you got some water on your pants-"

"Shut up, Stiles! And don't call me that!" She yelled, as he dissolved into laughter once again. "Sure thing, Lyds!" Of course she had to be walking in front of him, so he had a clear visual of her water soaked clothes. Stalking away faster, she turned into the trees. She got about fifteen steps before she stopped. This was the right way, right? Damn, everything looked the same.

"Hey, you with the strawberry-blonde hair. It's further this way." He said from behind her. She turned and walked back out the trees, past him, avoiding his eyes. Continuing to walk quickly, she held her head high. "Ah ah ah! Too far, too far." He called behind her. And that's how it went all the way home, Lydia stalking ahead of Stiles as he corrected her path.

By the time the trees cleared and their houses came into view, Lydia was miserable. It was still fairly cold out, and having wet clothes did not help one bit. Not to mention her underwear were...Not the most comfortable. And her nose was so cold that she couldn't feel it anymore. Without saying a word, she began to walk past Stiles' house and to her own. He cleared his throat behind her, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

She glanced over her shoulder, wondering if she had unknowingly dropped something. He gave her a light smile, gesturing to his house. "Don't you want a nice warm blanket to take home and cuddle up in?" She hesitated, wishing she could ignore him and close herself into her house. But dang it, a blanket sounded perfect. She could just grab the blanket and then go straight back to her house, no extra talking necessary.

She walked past him, brushing his shoulder, and stood at the back door of his house. "Well then, are you going to let me in?" She gave him an expectant look, waiting. He matched her expression, breathing deep. "I don't know, are you going to put away the claws?" She just narrowed her eyes again, refusing to back down.

"Stiles, open, the, door." She gave him her biggest fake smile, watching as his shoulders fell and he gave in. He moved next to her, pulling his key out of his pocket, muttering under his breath. He unlocked the door, and gestured for her to go in first. Just as she took a step forward, he pushed in front of her and stepped into the doorway. She gasped, as he stretched, leaving no room for her to go past him. She shoved him from behind, forcing her way in. "What a gentleman." She said accusingly, removing her shoes.

She tried her best to ignore the mud covering one of her shoes, not even wanting to think about it. Stiles walked further into his house, turning and winking at her. "Only for you, darling." He disappeared up the stairs, probably wanting her to stay behind and wait for him. Instead, she followed him up, studying the house as she went. It was very relaxing, with richly colored wood running through the structure, and homely furniture placed throughout.

Stiles opened a closet, pulling out about ten blankets. "Oh, perfect!" Lydia exclaimed, and Stiles jumped aside in surprise. She moved past him and instantly felt all the blankets, finding the softest one. "I'll take this one." She picked it up, and suddenly Stiles took it away. "Hey! I said you could have a blanket, but you can't have _this _blanket." He said. Lydia felt her jaw drop open.

"But you said, word for word, that I could pick one out! And I want that one!" She grabbed it back, and Stiles let out a heavy sigh. "Okay, fine, you can have that one. But you have to give it back. I'm not kidding." Lydia gave him a knowing look. "Oh, I get it. This is the blanket, isn't it? The one that will have me writing sonnets for you by nightfall?" But he didn't respond, simply reached out and touched it with his hand, a sad and bittersweet smile taking Lydia by surprise. "Something like that. It's just a very, very special blanket. So please promise you won't mistreat it. Okay?" He looked up at her, all teasing long gone, replaced by a look of pure honesty. Lydia felt her shoulders drop, all the prior fight in her gone.

"I promise. And thanks for letting me borrow it. Seriously, I really appreciate it." She offered him a smile, meeting his beautiful eyes. He smiled back, and the sudden intenseness threw Lydia completely off balance. One minute she hated this guy, or at least thought she did, and the next she felt the strongest connection with him. Neither of them broke the eye contact, until Stiles finally sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have had you sit on the branch. But you have to admit, it was fun. It's the perfect branch to sit on, and I knew it would be wet, but not _that _wet, so I really am sorry. Let me make it up to you. You can borrow a pair of my sweatpants, I'll make some soup while you change, then you can curl up on my couch, in this very blanket, and watch TV to your heart's content." He said, still giving her that incredibly honest smile.

Lydia felt her heart skip a beat. TV. Oh god, she hadn't watched TV in so long. And wearing a pair of mens sweatpants...Wrapped in a blanket...On a couch. She smiled even bigger at him. "Hand me some sweatpants, and show me where I can change." He smiled, and suddenly his face turned serious. "But hey, missy. Don't get any ideas. I'm not offering you my eternal love." He said gruffly, and Lydia almost choked on laughter. Stiles turned to walk away, but Lydia stopped him when she remembered something from earlier.

"How did you know?" She asked, her voice going quiet. She hadn't even meant for him to hear it, really. But he stopped and turned back to her, a confused look on his face. "Uh...how did I know what?" Lydia blushed a bit, realizing that now she had to tell him. "Back at the lake...You called me Lyds. My dad used to call me that, before he and my mom got divorced and he moved away." Stiles eyes widened in surprise, his gaze instantly growing intense. Lydia continued, her breath shaking. "And...You called me strawberry-blonde. All through school, I got teased for being a redhead and not having a soul. Before my grandma died, she used to brush my hair and tell me it was actually strawberry-blonde, and that I had the prettiest soul she had ever seen."

Lydia could hardly believe she had let the words escape her mouth, feeling more vulnerable than ever before. Her words were shaky, and she barely kept her eyes from tearing up. Stiles just stood there with a shocked expression, his eyes sad. But more than sad, it seemed like he understood her, and nobody had ever looked at her like that. It was silent, until finally Stiles gave her the sweetest smile she had ever seen and closed the distance between them. He pulled her in for a tight hug, crushing her against his chest. She smiled, settling in to him and wrapping her arms around his firm body. He smelled spicy, like a mix of flannel and autumn leaves.

"Are you okay with me calling you that? Lyds? And the whole strawberry-blonde thing? Because if not I will never mention either of them ever again." He said against her hair, and Lydia smiled against his shirt. "No, it's okay, I like it." She said quietly. They stayed like that for a long moment, before Stiles finally pulled away and smiled at her. She smiled back, still struck by how comfortable and natural everything felt with him.

"I'm gonna go grab you some sweatpants, and then I'll go make soup and coffee. Sound good?" He asked gently. She nodded, already missing his body heat, and watched as he gave her one more smile and then walked out of the room. She let out a deep breath the second he was gone, feeling her body grow weak. What was she doing? She couldn't let herself get too close. She wasn't ready yet. She had to be more careful. But something about the sweat coating her palms, and the way her heart was pounding, told her that keeping her distance from Stiles would be easier said than done.


	5. Chapter 5

Looking in the mirror, Lydia brushed through her hair with her fingers, wetting down the stands that were out of place. Splashing some water on her cheeks, she nervously bit her lip. She shouldn't be nervous, just because she was randomly vulnerable with him didn't mean he would expect anything from her.

She just had to play it off, ignore it. Stick to the safe, friendly teasing that they had been doing since the first moment they met. She paused, her eyes widening. Maybe she should back off the teasing, also. Maybe it was coming off too flirtatious. Was it flirtatious? Was she flirting with him? Did she want to flirt with him?

She pulled on her cheeks and let out a silent scream, knowing she was overthinking this. Reaching down, she tied the cinch at the waist of the sweatpants a bit tighter. Since her underwear had been soaked, she was going without. Which felt odd and way too intimate, but she just couldn't wear her soaking underwear.

She was also wearing a sweatshirt Stiles had given her, which hung over her figure. It was comfortable, perfect for relaxing on the couch. Taking one last look in the mirror, she finally stepped out and down the stairs.

The TV was already on, and the smell of coffee filled the warm air. Glancing around, she found her way back to the kitchen. Stiles was standing at the counter, with the faucet running. Lydia started to walk closer to him but stopped, seeing that his hands were paused in midair, and he seemed to be gazing at the running water. "Stiles?" She said cautiously.

He jumped, almost dropping the plate he held in his hands. Turning to the side he looked at her, breathing heavy. "Lydia! I didn't hear you come down. You look comfy! I'm getting soup and coffee ready, I hope you like coffee." He laughed nervously, looking tense.

"Ok...Are you okay? You were really zoned out." She said, walking over to the small dinner table and sitting down. "Yeah, yeah! Of course I am. Just stared off into space for a second. Do you want any sugar or cream in your coffee? It's from the shop I work at, it's my favorite blend."

She didn't even hesitate. "Nothing in it, I just like it black. Anything else ruins it." He turned to look at her over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows. "I'm impressed! I'll get it ready. You go ahead and get comfy on the couch, it's right through that door. I'll be there in just a minute."

He turned back, stirring the soup. Lydia went through the door he had pointed out, relieved at the sight of the couch. It was facing the TV at an angle, so she sat on it sideways with her back leaning against the far armrest so she could see it properly. The blanket she had picked out was sitting right on the coffee table, and she pulled it over herself. A fireplace was going, too.

She sighed in content, a blanket, a TV to her right, a fireplace to her left, coffee and soup any minute, could it get any better? Right then, Stiles walked in, setting the food and drinks on the coffee table. He glanced at her and paused, pursing his lips and looking like he was about to burst.

Lydia rolled her eyes, "What is it now, Stiles?" God this guy was so endearingly frustrating. He finally pointed to where she was sitting. "Would you mind if I sat there? That's just like, my spot. I always sit against the armrest so I can have my legs up on the coffee table, that way I'm at a perfect angle to see the TV." He rambled on, and Lydia sighed.

Gripping the blanket, she moved to the side of the couch closest to the TV. Stiles smiled and plopped down in her previous spot, tossing his feet up onto the coffee table and relaxing against the couch. "Ahh, perfect. Thanks, it's just a weird tick of mine."

Lydia grabbed her cup of coffee and sat back. "Yeah, yeah, you're weird, I already know that." He pressed his toe into her side, and she almost spilled her coffee. "Oh my god don't you dare! I will spill this coffee all over your couch, and purposefully aim it at you!"

He moved his foot away and laughed evilly. "Hmmm, good to know for later. You're ticklish, that could definitely come in handy." Lydia gave him a warning look. She didn't do well with being tickled, and he would end up with a bloody nose or a cracked rib.

"Will you just shut up and put a movie on? I was promised an evening of relaxation, and so far that hasn't happened yet." She sipped the coffee, pleasantly surprised at the bitter yet fruity taste of it. "Ok, so I was thinking we could watch The Avengers, because that's a perfect movie for a-"

"Uh funny, but no." Lydia cut in, not even taking that into consideration. Stiles smile faltered a bit, and he looked a bit confused. "Ok, ok that's fine! What kind of movie did you have in mind?"

Lydia pretended to think about it, and gave him a devious smile. "The Notebook." What was left of Stiles smile vanished, and he stuttered a bit under her confident gaze. "The...The Notebook. Ok...Well, you know, as great as that sounds, I have balls that have in fact dropped and I do not, shockingly enough, own a copy of The Notebook. Or any movie of that kind. No chick flicks to be found within these walls, as much as it kills me to say."

"That's fine, do you have Netflix? Just bring up Netflix and I'll buy it, no worries!" She smiled her best movie-star look, batting her eyelashes at him. His jaw was dropped, a little twitch happening under his right eye. "Uh...What a great idea! Let me do that...I'm so excited to watch this movie, really, it makes me cry every time."

His voice was dripping in sarcasm, but he pulled up Netflix and found the movie. Lydia settled back with her coffee, crossing her legs. Stiles reached over and turned off the lamp, so the only light was from the warm fireplace and the TV. For a moment Lydia panicked at the sudden intimacy of the situation, but forced herself to get over it.

As the movie went on, Stiles groans and complaints of agony began to fade. The coffee and soup had been finished off, and Lydia felt warm and relaxed from the inside out. Her head kept falling forward, since the angle she sat in to see the TV left her without much of a head rest.

"Hey, are you getting tired?" Stiles asked quietly, just as Lydia was stifling a yawn. "Yeah, but I want to keep watching." She re-situated herself, trying to get comfortable. She stretched her legs out along the couch, still unable to rest her head anywhere.

"You know, you can lean back against me. I mean, if that would be comfortable. You just seem a little restless." Stiles sounded hesitant, and Lydia felt herself frown a bit, trying to think of another solution. There didn't seem to be one, though.

"Are you sure? You wouldn't mind?" Part of her hoped he would say no. This was getting a little too close for comfort, a little too intimate. "Of course I don't mind, Lydia. I pinky swear to be an absolute gentleman."

With a sigh, Lydia turned away from him and leaned her back towards him. This was such a bad idea. Maybe he was taking this the wrong way. Was _she _taking this the wrong way?

When her back finally met his chest however, all her restraints vanished. His warmth was seeping through the fabric of his t-shirt, instantly spreading to her. His chest was firm and soft at the same time, fitting perfectly against her back. Her breath caught for a moment, a spark of nerves and excitement and comfort all sizzling through her at once.

She let her weight rest against him fully, finally reminding herself to breath. The back of her head rested perfectly against the curve where his shoulder met his neck, and she could sense his jaw hovering right above her hair. "There, see, that wasn't so bad was it?" He said, his voice wavering a bit.

It took a second for Lydia to process his words. She was focused on the fact that his heart rate had rapidly sped up against her back, and that little beads of sweat had collected on her palms. "Lydia?"

"Oh! Well, it's okay I guess, unless _this _is the moment were you murder me in cold blood. That would certainly put a damped on the evening." She knew her voice was unsteady, but fought through it, only hoping that he hadn't noticed. "Oh, come on Lyds, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it back in the woods. Just shut up and enjoy the rest of the movie."

Somehow, she could sense that he was smiling, and he rested his chin on the top of her head, wrapping his arms loosely around her. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading, as she pulled the blanket up around them both and nestled back against his warm chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is SMUT. If that is not your thing, skip this chapter. (Second time writing smut so go easy on me haha!)**

Warm breath tickled her ear, a hand rubbing her arm "Lydia...Hey, Lydia...Lyds, wake up. The movie's over." Lydia groaned, still half asleep. "Go away, just give me five minutes I swear." Stiles laughed softly, poking her cheek.

"Lydia, come on, wake up. I'd let you stay here for the night but I have to get up at four in the morning to go to work. So wake up Lyds, come on." He kept poking her, and Lydia just moaned in reply, falling back to sleep.

"Alright, I didn't want to have to do this..." He sighed, and stopped poking her cheek, only to start poking her side. Lydia's body instantly woke up, and she rolled right off of the couch. Stiles laughed and pushed the coffee table out of the way, moving to the floor next to her.

"Come on Lyds I'm just going to keep tickling you!" She felt him lean over her and tickle both of her sides, and she gasped and tried to roll away, straight into the coffee table, trapped. The tickling was incessant, and Lydia curled into a ball, half laughing and half trying to breathe.

"Stiles...Stiles you're gonna kill me!" She struggled to get the words out, and her elbow shot out in reflex. Stiles caught it, and just kept tickling her. Finally she uncurled from the floor, trying to crawl away. Stiles easily caught up with her, tickling her until she was on her back on the floor.

Tears were streaming from her eyes, and she was screaming with laughter. Stiles stopped and held her hands still with his own, keeping her from punching him and finally giving her a chance to recover, laughing almost as hard as she was.

Her eyes were too watery to see how his eyes changed above her, how they lost the evil glint and studied her. How he looked at her hair, messy beyond saving, her cheeks rosy, her smile radiant, the crinkles near her eyes, the dimples in her cheeks. The neckline of the sweatshirt, his sweatshirt, hung low enough to expose her delicate collar bone. Under his fingers, he could feel her heart pumping in her wrists, beating rapidly.

Lydia finally caught her breath enough to stop the tears of laughter, looking up at Stiles and feeling happier than she had in... Months, maybe even years. She looked up at him, and felt herself do a double take. His hair was the messiest she had seen it, strands falling down over his forehead. His cheeks were flushed, his lips slightly ajar, the moles dusting his face more attractive than she had ever noticed. The light from the fire cast shadows across his face, and he looked...tempting. She glanced down to his chest and saw how quickly he was breathing, his hot breath hitting her neck.

Finally she allowed her eyes to move back up to his face, catching a glimpse of the vein running up his neck, and the moles there as well. The second she let her eyes meet his, she struggled to keep her composure. Stiles eyes were focused on her neck, and she could tell he was trying and failing to restrain himself.

Suddenly he moved closer to her, meeting her eyes for a split second, and she could hardly breathe. His lips hit right above her collar bone, and a spark of lust immediately spread through her entire body.

His lips were burning hot against her skin as he pressed them against her harder, trailing them up her throat.

She swallowed hard, lifting her chin and giving him better access, unable to hold back a sigh filled with desire. His hands still gripped her wrists above her head, and although it was hot she couldn't help but wish he would put them to better use.

Just then he pressed his lips under her jawline, against her pulse point. The second she felt his tongue swipe along her skin, her eyes drifted shut and she almost writhed against his hold.

He worked his lips against her skin, lightly sucking and circling his tongue. He lowered his chest to hers, breathing heavy, shaky breaths. Lydia's body felt like jello, the desire knotting in her stomach, and she knew she had to get her hands free so that she could touch him.

Letting out another moan as Stiles' teeth tickled her skin, she fought to get her hands free, trying to loosen his grip. Suddenly his hot kisses stopped, and she groaned in protest as his lips left her neck. He lifted away from her, his gaze still like a laser beam to her neckline, his eyes fiery with lust.

Lydia fought once again to get her hands free, longing to run her hands along his hard chest. Something snapped in his eyes, the haze of lust suddenly gone, and he let Lydia's hands go. Suddenly he was on his feet, letting out deep breaths and running his hands through his hair.

"Oh my god, Lydia, I am so sorry, I don't even know what happened or what I was thinking...Oh my god I can't believe that just happened...I shouldn't have held your hands down, I told you I wouldn't make a move on you...God, Lyds, I'm so insanely sorry." Lydia stood up as well, sensing that her hair and clothes were disheveled.

Stiles glanced up at her, his cheeks burning with obvious embarrassment, waiting for her to say something. She quirked an eyebrow at him, forcing herself towards him even though her legs still felt useless beneath her. Without saying a word, Lydia took her time stepping up to him, feeling the air between them intensify with each step she took.

Moving her gaze from the ground, she let her eyes travel slowly up his legs, over his painfully obvious erection, to the peek of a happy trail, to the pecs outlined by his shirt, to his flushed neck, and up to his eyes, which were successfully ignited again. Pressing her hands against his chest, she backed him up to the couch, watching him fall back and sit before her.

She let herself revel in everything for a moment, watching his hot gaze take in her body and glancing questionably up to her eyes. Smirking a bit, she gracefully lowered herself onto the couch, straddling his thighs. This time it was his turn to gasp, but Lydia cut him off and sealed her lips against his.

Resting her ass lightly on his knees, she let her hands travel up his arms, across his shoulders and to his neck. Running her hands along his skin, she could feel his heart going wild, skipping beats left and right. She felt that vein she had noticed earlier under her fingers, and she didn't know why she never noticed before just how manly and perfect his neck was.

Breaking the kiss, breathing against each others lips, Lydia instantly wanted more and pressed her lips to his once again, amazed by how soft they were. His tongue swiped lightly across her lips, and Lydia eagerly gave him access. His tongue swept along hers, teasing it, before he playfully nibbled on her bottom lip.

Running her hands down from his neck, she let herself explore his chest over his thin

T-shirt. His pecs were just as nice as she had expected, toned. Lowering her hands even more, she reached the bottom of his shirt. His breath caught and he broke the kiss as her hands snuck under the fabric, brushing lightly against his stomach.

Lydia kissed along his jaw, breathing softly on his ear. Running her hands along his skin, his abs surprised her. They were toned and not overly muscular, just like his pecs. His muscles tightened under her touch, as she leaned forward and sucked lightly on his earlobe. At the same time Stiles leaned down and pressed an open mouthed kiss to the skin that was exposed near her shoulder, sending tingles through her torso.

Pulling on the bottom of his shirt, she regretfully pulled away from his ear, eagerly lifting the fabric. He pulled his lips away from her shoulder, raising his arms so she could pull it over his head. She tossed the shirt over her shoulder, taking a moment to appreciate his bare chest and the dusting of moles down there as well. She ran her finger along a few, as if connecting the dots.

"I like these." She murmured, following the dots up to his chest. She glanced up, and Stiles was looking down, mesmerized by the touch of her hand. Lowering herself, she kissed one of his moles, moving up his chest. Completely aware that Stiles' eyes were following her every move, she kissed around his nipple, teasing him.

She could tell his body was stiff with tension, and finally wrapped her lips around it, sucking it into her mouth and teasing it with her tongue. Stiles drew in a sharp breath, letting his head drift back against the couch. Dragging a hand up his chest, she gently brushed it against his other nipple, relishing in how soft his skin was.

Her other hand snuck down to his waist, resting on the skin right above the button of his jeans. Giving his nipple a soft bite, lightly pinching the other, she expertly unbuttoned his jeans with one hand. Stiles breathing hitched, "Oh my god Lydia...Are you sure this is-"

His words instantly gave way to a deep moan as her hand reached inside his pants, brushing against the silky skin of his erection. Pulling her lips momentarily from his nipple, she smirked as his head fell back and his jaw dropped open. "No underwear I see, how convenient."

Leaning up, she gently suckled on his neck, one hand still working his chest as the other explored below. His breathing grew more and more unsteady, and suddenly his hands were lifting her face away from his neck. He ran his tongue across her jaw, locking their lips together, hungrily panting against her mouth.

Just as she was dying to keep kissing him, he pulled away, gripping the bottom of the sweatshirt she was wearing. She barely had a chance to pull her hand free of his pants, and lift her arms before he was pulling it over her head, groaning at the sight of her bra.

Before the sweatshirt was out of his hands, his mouth pressed against the curve of a breast, and Lydia sighed. His hands suddenly gripped her waist, holding her still as he pressed kisses all over. Finally his lips latched onto her nipple through her bra, drawing a groan of satisfaction from her. The bra was a simple, thin layer of lace, covering nothing.

Never had she been more thankful for her choice of bra. His hands moved to her back, pressing her closer to his mouth, swirling his burning tongue around until her nipple was hardened and begging for more attention.

"Oh my god you are so fucking hot." She moaned, running her hands through his hair. He simply gave her nipple a hard suck, sending a pulse of pleasure straight to her clit. She felt her insides clench, craving more.

Lifting her hips a bit, she lowered them to match his. His bulge pressed against her through their pants, the tension making her ache. Stiles licked the very tip of her nipple at the same time, moaning against it. His hips instantly rocked against her, and she gripped his shoulders.

Bringing his mouth to her other breast, he moved a hand to her side, rubbing and clenching her hip. His fingers teased along the waistline of the sweatpants she was wearing, caressing her skin. He found and untied the cinch, loosening them.

His hand, so dangerously close, triggered a wave of moisture between her thighs. His mouth paused, simply breathing heavily against her breast, as his hand slid an inch into the sweats. Lydia could hardly breathe, dying from longing and anticipation. Stiles gave her nipple one soft kiss before moving up, along her throat and to her quivering lips.

He slid his tongue between her already parted lips, his hot breaths mixing with hers. He sucked gently on her tongue, and she sighed into his mouth. She had never been kissed like this before, never felt so much pleasure simply from kissing.

Just as she was beginning to relax, focused completely on his kiss, his hand slid further inside the sweats. Another wave of moisture hit her, so wet she was practically dripping. Stiles hand stopped suddenly, and he sucked in a breath against her lips. "You... Aren't wearing any..." He could barely speak, his eyes shut tight.

Lydia kissed the corner of his mouth. "How convenient," She whispered. Her head dropped to the side, forehead against his shoulder as he finally pressed his fingers against her folds. The air was filled with nothing but sexual tension. "Fuck Lyds, you are so damn wet."

She simply nodded against his shoulder, unable to do anything but focus on his fingers. He finally moved them against her, running them up between the folds, just shy of her pulsing clit. He moved them back down, circling her soaked entrance. He pressed a finger just barely inside, and Lydia gasped.

Stiles brought his mouth to her neck, instantly nibbling and sucking on her. His finger pushed deeper, his thumb making circles against her folds. He gently began to pump in and out of her, and a cry tumbled from her lips as his thumb moved to press down on her clit. She bit her lip hard, needing to do something with her hands.

Reaching down, she fumbled with his pants until she pushed them out of the way just enough. Stiles thumb jumped against her clit, his lips pressing against her neck harder as she wrapped her hand around his thick length. His finger pumped in and out of her faster, and curled inside her, pressing against her wall.

She clenched her eyes shut, drawing his erection from his pants. Spreading his precum, she wasted no time. She matched her hands rhythm to his, loving the way he moaned in response. He surprised her by sliding in a second finger, and she clenched around him.

She was already close to orgasm, her insides fluttering and her face burning hot. Determined to take him with her, she wrapped her hand around him tighter, impressed by the width of his cock. He let out a grunt, circling her clit faster in response.

Flashes of heat hit her, making her curl her toes. "Stiles, I...Oh god..." She wasn't sure what she wanted to say, losing her senses completely. Stiles simply nodded against her neck, his hot breath causing goosebumps to rise along her skin.

She pumped her hand faster, feeling his cock swell. Stiles pressed both fingers further, and she let out a loud cry as they hit her G-spot. He pressed his thumb firmly onto her clit, and she exploded, crying out. She felt his cock twitch against her hand, as his orgasm hit him. His free hand pushed her head up from his shoulder, melding their mouths together, silencing her cry.

She pulsated and clenched around his fingers for what felt like minutes, her hand falling away from his fully spent cock. Her body turned to jello, and she lost her balance. Stiles barely kept her from falling, lowering her carefully to the floor, hovering over her.

He leaned in to kiss her again, tasting the her sweat mixed with his own. Lydia finally stopped pulsing, the burning heat fading from her cheeks. She closed her eyes, barely even able to move her lips against Stiles'. Exhaustion hit her like a train.

She had never felt so exhausted, so utterly spent after just one orgasm, let alone when they hadn't even had full sex. Her eyes closed, no longer able to keep them open. "Stiles, I need to...I have to sleep." She managed to mutter weakly.

Stiles kissed her shoulder, running his hand over her cheek. "Ok Lyds, go to sleep." He whispered gently, and she rolled over onto her side. She heard the rustling of clothes as he removed his jeans, and lifted her feet one at a time in order to remove her sweats. Pulling the blanket over her, he settled behind her, molding against her back.

His arm came over her side, and he gently pushed her against his chest, nuzzling his face into her hair. The faintest smile filled Lydia's lips, before she lost herself to a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The sound of an alarm gradually pulled Lydia from her dreams, and she reached for her bedside table with closed eyes. Fumbling around, she wasn't able to find it. "Damn it...Where is the phone..." Lifting her head up, she kept searching blindly for her phone, which she always used as her alarm clock. Odd, it wasn't her usual alarm tone. "When did I change that..." She mumbled to herself.

"What?" The groggy voice came from beside her. Lydia's eyes shot open, and she whipped her head to find herself face to face with Stiles. A shriek of surprise escaped from her, and she jumped up only to find herself buck-ass naked, except for her revealing bra. Shrieking once again, she grabbed the blanket off of Stiles, desperately covering herself.

"What the hell?! Lydia?!" Stiles yelled, rubbing his eyes. It was then that Lydia glanced down to find that Stiles was just as naked as she was. Gasping, she turned around, shutting her eyes tightly. "Stiles, shit! Cover up!" She yelled, wrapping the blanket around herself.

"Why am I...Lydia, why am I naked? Holy shit." She heard him fumbling with clothes behind her, and then he turned off the alarm. "I'm turning around." She said, trusting that he was decent. She was met with the sight of Stiles in his boxers, hair disheveled and eyes wide.

Their eyes met, and Lydia self consciously held the blanket a little tighter. "We didn't..." Stiles said slowly, gulping nervously. Lydia shook her head, "No, no way. We couldn't have. We didn't." She tried to sound confident, but she felt the exact opposite. They silently stared at each other for what felt like hours.

Finally Stiles ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Shit, did we?" He said. He got a panicked look on his face, "I mean, not that I wouldn't want to. I mean, I'm not saying that you aren't attractive. I wouldn't be opposed to it, it's not that I'm...It's just that I don't have any condoms downstairs, they're all upstairs, and I doubt that I...That we would have, it's just-"

"Stiles, we didn't." She said, the night before suddenly coming back to her. Stiles stopped his rambling, and she could tell her was trying to remember too. Everything was coming back to Lydia at once, and she felt herself blush. Stiles began to blush too, and rocked nervously on the soles of his bare feet.

"Damn...Ok, yeah, we didn't. That's...A relief." He bit his lip, letting out a laugh. Lydia laughed along with him, but couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. "Yeah...Yeah, such a relief." She picked at little beads of fuzz on the blanket, wishing she could think of something to say. "But hey, Lyds, I mean it's all coming back to me and I...Wait, shit. I have to go to work!"

He jumped into action, and Lydia watched him find his jeans and pull them on. She felt panic start to fill her. "Okay... But Stiles we have to talk about this? I mean this is a big deal, we need to, I mean, how am I supposed to just sit at home and wait to talk about this?!" Stiles was searching the room, looking for something.

"I'm so sorry Lydia, I know, trust me I want to talk about this too. But I seriously have to get to work. I don't even have time to shower, and I can't be late because I'm opening the store today and...Holy god where the heck did I put my damn shirt?" He said, searching under pillows.

Lydia blushed as she remembered tearing his shirt from his chest and throwing it over her shoulder, and found herself glancing at his bare chest, the flexing of his muscles. "Stiles." He looked at her, and she pointed across the room, where the shirt lay on the floor. He practically ran to the shirt and Lydia watched with regret as he put it on, covering up the nice view.

He grabbed his phone, sliding it into his back pocket. "Ok, I have to go. I am so, so sorry Lydia, I promise we will talk after I get home from work. Okay? I promise. We will. Feel free to use my shower, drain my hot water tank, eat all my food, watch all the TV you want, anything, okay?" He didn't even give Lydia a chance to reply before he stepped up close to her, and she instantly had flashbacks to the night before as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I will be back at seven o'clock tonight. Okay? Okay." He paused, before leaning in and cautiously pressing a kiss to her lips. It had more of an effect on her than she expected, and her knees went a bit wobbly. Just as quickly as it happened, it was over, and Stiles was jogging to his front door, leaving Lydia in shock. "We'll talk, don't worry!" He shouted, and she heard the front door open and close.

The silence was deafening, and Lydia couldn't bring herself to move. What had just happened? Was it real? Was she still asleep? Just with a simple kiss, he managed to bring back all the tension from last night. The more she remembered everything that had happened, the more it sank in. She and Stiles had gone far last night.

She blushed again as she remembered the pleasure, and how much she had enjoyed it. Each and every moment of it. Damn, he was good with his hands. And his mouth. Reaching up, she felt her neck. Gripping the blanket, she rushed into the kitchen and down the hallway, opening all the doors. When she found the bathroom, she flipped on the lights and looked in the mirror.

Her eyes widened, finding multiple hickies on her neck, near her collarbone, and even one on her shoulder. She hadn't had a chance to look at Stiles, and she had a sinking feeling that she had left a few on him as well. She groaned, dropping her head into her hand. This was not supposed to happen, this was the exact opposite of what she had intended.

How could she have been so stupid? She should have gone home, she shouldn't have allowed herself to be in this situation. She should have gone home with the blanket, and none of this would have happened. Walking back to the living room, she looked at the couch. Stiles' sweatshirt she had been wearing was draped along the side of the couch, and the sweatpants were in a pile on the floor.

Looking at her phone, she groaned when she saw that it was four thirty AM. Falling into the couch, she pulled the blanket up to her chin and let herself fall back asleep.

The sound of her cell phone ringtone woke Lydia up, and she grudgingly got up to search for it. She followed the sound, not even bothering to keep a hold of the blanket. She trudged up the stairs naked without giving a damn, finding her cell phone in the bathroom where she had changed clothes last night. Looking at the screen, she wanted to scream when she saw that it was her mom.

"Fuck!" She yelled to the empty house, pressing the accept button. "Hi mom!" She said, instantly trying to sound lively and awake. "Lydia darling, I've called you three times! It's almost two o'clock." Lydia sighed, knowing she should have set an alarm before going back to sleep. "I know mom, I just had a really, really busy night. And I definitely needed the sleep."

"I'm sure you did. Well, I was just calling to see how things are going! And also to let you know that I was able to get Friday off, so I'll be at the house by Saturday morning. We can spend the day unpacking the rest of your things, and I could stay until Sunday evening. Doesn't that sound nice?" Lydia couldn't help but smile. Her mom wasn't always around, but she tried hard.

"Sure, mom, that sounds great. Although it's only Monday, I don't know how I'll survive until then with such an empty house. I'll just really look forward to the weekend!" She tried to sound cheerful, but couldn't help but cringe. She had until Saturday morning, giving her 5 full days to wait.

"I'm sure you'll be fine sweetheart. Just keep up your hygiene, go apply for some jobs, and I'll be there before you know it." Lydia looked in the bathroom mirror, taking in her reflection. Her hair was just as disheveled as Stiles' had been, her makeup smeared, her teeth hadn't been brushed, the multiple hickies...Not exactly hygienic.

"Okay mom, sounds good. I'll talk to you soon!" She prepared to end the call. "Oh, and Lydia! I was going to ask if you'd met Stiles yet." Lydia stopped in her tracks, slowly putting the phone back to her ear. "...What? How do you...You know Stiles? But he told me he didn't know anyone was moving in. And why didn't you tell me about him before I moved in?! Mom, when you described the house, you never mentioned him or how close he lived! You never mentioned anything about him!"

"Lydia, goodness, calm down. I didn't think it was a big deal. I was taken to see the house, and Stiles came over and introduced himself. He was very handsome, and very polite, so I didn't think it would be any issue. In fact, I expected a thank-you! He had the cutest little moles. And besides, I told him I was interested in buying the house. I didn't tell him about you, and certainly didn't give him the impression that I was positive about buying. We had a friendly conversation, and then he had to leave."

Lydia sighed, rubbing her eyes, making the makeup smears worse. "Okay, mom, what would make you think this was a good idea? Nothing about this is good! Nothing, no good ideas, at all. None." She said, exasperated. "Lydia, I just thought you could use a friendly, attractive neighbor! Especially after Jackson and that whole ordeal-"

Lydia groaned, interrupting. "Mom, while I appreciate you being worried about me, and trying to set me up, this was the opposite of what I needed. I wanted a fresh start, but not like this! I don't want another relationship so soon, it's the last thing I need!"

"Lydia, why? I saw how badly you were hurting, just from talking with you over the phone. Jackson was awful, sweetheart. You could use a nice man to be friends with, and what could be better than a nice man that's your neighbor?" Lydia sat down on the floor, trying not to freak out.

"Mom, yes, I was heartbroken. And maybe I still am, I'm not sure! That's why this was a bad idea. Stiles is really attractive mom." Lydia clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. "Like, he's really, really attractive. Really. Attractive."

"Oh my god, Lydia Martin. You are attracted to him. You admit it. Are you dating? Did something happen between you two?" Lydia's eyes shot open. "No! No, of course not! I just said he was attractive, but we aren't dating! And nothing happened! And nothing will, mom! Because I just told you that I'm still recovering from Jackson, and that's the end of the story! Now I need to go...I have to...I have to shave my legs, so don't call me for the rest of the day!"

"Alright sweetie, whatever you say. But he's a cutie. Have a nice time shaving. Love you." Her mom ended the call, and Lydia sat in silence once again. That darn woman. Lydia loved her so much, but she was always meddling. Of course she would purposefully buy the house next door to a sexy, charming guy.

And now look what had happened. Just when Lydia wanted a break from relationships, this happened. Panicking, Lydia took her phone and headed downstairs. Throwing on the sweatshirt and sweatpants, she left through the back door and headed towards her own house. Jumping in the car, she drove along the main road that lead to town.

Searching along both sides of the street, she looked for coffee shops. She stopped at three, each time asking if Stiles worked there, and each time being told no. She knew she looked like crap, but she didn't care. She had to find Stiles, and she had to talk to him. She couldn't wait until he got off of work.

After getting herself sufficiently lost, she was about to give up when she saw a different coffee shop. This one was on a quiet corner, a very rustic and beautiful building with smoke rising from a chimney. Parking, she glanced in the mirror and cleaned her self up a bit. Walking in, she was hit with a blast of warm air. A fireplace was going, with multiple tables and chairs set up near it.

It was cozy, with people scattered about, conversation and coffee galore. "Lydia? What are you...Hi?" She turned to find Stiles at the counter, with a bewildered expression on his face. His hair was only slightly cleaned up, still wild. His cheeks were a bit flushed from the warmth of the shop, and the shirt under his apron was wrinkled. He definitely looked wrecked. But he still had a glow to him, and Lydia couldn't help but smile. He was way too cute. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Stiles...Hi, I need to talk with you." He glanced down, taking in her appearance. "Lydia, I know we said we needed to, but I'm at work. I can't talk right now." Just then she glanced down and barely held in a gasp. Stiles looked almost scared. "What is it, Lydia?!" She stared at his neck, at the large hickie that was visible right above the collar of his shirt, just as she'd been afraid of.

"You are taking a break, right now." She stepped forward and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the back of the store. She almost ran right into a young guy, in his teens. He was chewing gum loudly, and stared at her. He looked from Lydia to Stiles, and back again. Lydia gripped Stiles arm, preparing to move around him.

"So this is her, huh?" The teens words stopped Lydia, and Stiles looked panicked. "What, wait, what do you mean? Her who?" Stiles stuttered, refusing to meat Lydia's accusing glare. The teenager motioned to Stiles' neck. "The girl who gave you that." Stiles glanced down and gasped, "Shit! Shit, I didn't know that was there, shit!" He pressed his fingers to the bruise, almost like he could just rub it away.

Lydia sighed, shaking her head. Pulling Stiles along to a door at the back wall, she opened it and closed it behind them. They were outside in the cold, but she didn't care. Lifting Stiles face up and making him look at her, she kept her gaze serious. "We need to talk about last night, and we need to talk about it right now." Stiles nodded, quickly agreeing with her.

"I agree, I definitely agree. Last night was crazy and I can't believe that it happened. Like, I actually pinched myself a few times at work." He smiled and laughed, but Lydia didn't crack a smile. "Stiles, it can't happen again." His smile disappeared, and she hated seeing him frown.

"Oh...Wow, okay, that's the last thing I expected you to say. Wow, uh...Okay." He took a step away from her, obviously caught off guard. "I'm sorry to be so blunt Stiles, but I just needed to let you know. I know it's probably not what you expected, but I really mean it."

He rubbed his face, a nervous habit she had noticed of his. "Okay, but...Why? I mean, I was there last night and from what I remember...You definitely weren't exactly...Hesitant. And I don't know about you but it was amazing, I mean we just connected and there were fireworks. I know people say that and it's so cliche, but I'm serious Lydia. I heard fireworks, in my head."

He was rambling, and Lydia smiled, a funny warmth spreading inside her. "Stiles, I know, I felt it too. Honestly, I did." He met her gaze, returning her smile. "Okay, so then, listen. I've been thinking about you all morning. And all I've been able to think about is how beautiful you are. And how cute you are when you get mad, and how much I enjoy our banter. All I've been able to think about, was getting off work, going home, and doing this."

Suddenly, he brought his hands up and caressed her cheeks, his lips closing against hers. She almost protested, but his thumbs brushed along her cheeks, and his warm mouth felt so good against hers. Bringing her hands up, she gripped the top of his apron, pulling him closer. Pulling her lips away, she smirked. "This is cute." She motioned to his apron.

He pushed her back until she was against the building, resting a hand on her hip. "Shut up." He teased, lifting her chin and kissing her once again. She drifted to the night before, remembering how good he was with his tongue. Unable to deny herself, she deepened the kiss, feeling the sparks fly.

He let out a light moan as his tongue met hers, and he tilted his head for better access. He brought his hand from her hip to her neck, causing goosebumps to rise. Her neck felt hyper sensitive today, and her body temperature skyrocketed. Stiles broke the kiss, talking against her open lips. "I love knowing that I put those hickies there, that just a kiss can get you all fired up. I want to kiss you until I can't anymore, I want to keep kissing you just like this."

Lydia grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him in, shutting him up. Putting a hand on his back, she pressed him closer, loving the way his body felt against hers. Her breasts ached, feeling extra heavy today, reminding her of how he made them feel last night. He pressed his chest against hers, as if he knew exactly what was going on. She barely stifled a moan, sucking lightly on his lower lip.

He pressed kisses against the corner of her mouth, as one of his hands slipped inside the sweatshirt. His hand was hot against her skin, rubbing circles on her stomach. He kept kissing along her jaw, making his way to her ear, as his hand inched higher. Lydia's breath grew more shallow, unable to control her bodies reactions to him. He was like a magnet, something she couldn't escape.

His hand brushed against the underside of her breast, softly along the lace. She tried not to groan, feeling instant wetness down below. His thumb brushed against her nipple, and she bit her lip. Her heart rate tripled, a dull thud pounding through her body. His hot mouth was pressed against the skin just shy of her ear, and he kissed her there as his hand finally cupped her breast fully. She let out a moan, unable to believe how reactive she was to him. He gently massaged her, as if he knew that she was a bit tender from the night before.

The slow movement of his hand somehow got her even hotter, making her impatient but also making her savor every second. Stiles kissed back along her cheek, bringing his mouth back to hers as he circled a fingertip around her nipple. He gently mimicked the movement of his finger with his tongue, circling her tongue with his own. His finger rubbed against her nipple finally, firmly pressing against it. Lydia could feel it hardening, a feeling of pure pleasure and pressure filling her chest. She was practically gasping for breath against Stiles' mouth, and all she wanted was to strip him and have her way with him. Right here, and right now. But she couldn't.

"Stiles, Stiles this is not what I pictured happening. This is not why I came to see you." She managed to mumble the words, not even sure that she was saying them out loud. She knew she had to stop this, to remember why they couldn't do this again. Suddenly she pulled her mouth away, pushing him away with a hand on his chest.

Fighting to get herself under control, she remembered what she had to tell him. "Stiles, I can't do this. We can't do this. And it has absolutely nothing to do with you, really it doesn't. I know that is so overused but it's true, I swear to you it is. I just got out of a relationship about three weeks ago, a long term relationship with a guy named Jackson.

It took me four years to realize that he was abusive, to gather my pride and break up with him. He didn't take it well, and was...nasty to me. We haven't talked since, and Stiles, I don't have feelings for him. But I'm still recovering from the abuse he put me through. I'm still trying to find myself again, to remember who I was before I dated him.

That's why I wanted to move away from home after college, to get a fresh start. And having a new relationship so soon, was not what I expected or wanted to happen. I left it up to my mom, for her to decide where I would live. Mostly because she's paying for basically all of it, but also because I trusted her to pick a good place for me to start over.

I did not expect her to pick a house next to a handsome, charming man like yourself. A young man that she figured I could be friends with, or maybe set me up with, I don't know. The point is, that I need to time to myself. I can't let this thing with you continue, I'm sorry but I can't. It's the last thing that I need right now, and I'm so sorry that I let it happen." She took a deep breath, watching him take everything in. The air around them had changed, going from heated tension, to stone cold awkwardness.

Finally he spoke up. "Okay...Okay. I mean, how can I argue with that? I understand, and I can of course give you your space. I think I just...Need some space myself. So that I can take all of that in, because to be honest I don't think it's really processing with me right now. So I think you should go, because I need to get back to work." His words were slow and he was clearly shocked, and Lydia looked down at her feet. Just a moment ago, they had been passionately kissing. Just a moment ago, she had been short of breath because of how turned on she was. Now, she was short of breath because she wanted to cry.

"Okay, I understand. I'm sorry, Stiles, I really am." She opened the door, reminding herself to breathe, surprised at the emotions welling up inside of her. She had to get out, before she turned around and changed her mind. Stepping back inside the building, Stiles didn't follow her. She hurriedly walked towards the front door of the store, and the young teenager from before called out behind her, "About time, I was wondering how long you two would be going at it!"

Her eyes filled with tears, embarrassed and thinking back to the look on Stiles' face. She had obviously taken him by surprise, and she had to respect and take full responsibility for that. Rushing to her car, she spent an hour being lost before she finally found her way back home. Rushing inside, she did the only thing she could manage. She grabbed a book, and sat in the bath for hours, dreading her next encounter with Stiles.


End file.
